The Old Fool Who Loves You
by thatblue
Summary: There was nothing he could do to save her, but he would never stop trying. It starts out mild, the later chapters will be a bit more adult.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Doctor Who. Just a random idea, that hopefully is good. **

She was going to die, and he didn't know how to stop this…and it was all his fault. No, he didn't know that there was flu outbreak there, and there shouldn't have been anyway that she could have gotten it. One hearted species didn't get the Linginon flu, and the Doctor suspected that it was because they couldn't survive it.

But that was his Donna, defying the impossible even if it was going to cost her her life. He changed the rag on her forehead replacing it with a fresh cool one but it was doing nothing to bring her fever down, neither was the best medicine he had for a Human. He had even tried stuff from too far in the future to really give her but that hadn't touched it at all.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, wiping back her damp hair.

It was at least the millionth time he had apologized but he would give anything if she would hold on for him to do it a million more times. If she would just hold on, if she could just do the impossible once again there wasn't anything that he wouldn't do for her.

Oh, it was safe to say he had fallen for this stubborn fiery woman, and no he hadn't told her, because he was too much of a coward. And now if he said, while she was in this fevered state she would think that he didn't mean it.

It had been two days since she had first started to show symptoms, showing hers faster than his had come about. He wiped the sweat from his brow, wishing that it meant his own fever was breaking but it didn't. It was just how his body was working through the illness.

His stomach rolled and he rose reluctantly, removing the hand from her chest that he had been keeping there because her breathing had become so shallow it scared him to death.

He went to Donna's bathroom and hugged the bowl, doing his stomachs bidding once again. At least he didn't have much in him for it to try to remove, and he washed his face and rinsed his mouth before hurrying back to Donna's side.

To his relief her eyes were open a little. They had made an agreement, her demanding and him not having the heart to argue, that if she could wake up, then he would take her to the bathroom and not put a catheter in her.

"'K," she managed in a whisper.

"Of course," he agreed moving to her, already capping her IV as he knew that she only woke when she needed to go to the bathroom.

"Go?"

"Yes," he nodded, fighting for a smile that would be a comfort. These periods of consciousness were short but she still managed to wake up. He suspected it was all her stubborn will, but it gave him hope.

He pulled her into his arms, feeling a weight difference from even a couple of days ago, and he fought tears. He wouldn't be weak in front of her.

After she finished he carried her back to her bed, and he could see that she was already fading. He held her up with one arm and reached for the nutrient shake that he had made up while she slept. She took a sip dutifully but that was all he could manage before her eyes fluttered shut again.

He moved her back down, and pulled the sheet back up over her, moving her cloth back to her head. He knew how bad this was, but he couldn't tell her even in her sleep. If she heard, if she knew what could be even if she did the impossible and survived, and it wasn't positive.

"Oh, Donna," he whispered, resting his too warm head on her cool sheets, hand on her chest to reassure him that she was still right there with him. "Please, don't leave me. I'm an old fool, you know that, but I need you."

He wished she would chuckle then and give him a hard time, but the room was silent. Maybe he was being selfish begging her to stay. If she made it then she was going to have a long fight ahead of her still.

He had run the numbers so to speak, in that he had taken the time to figure out how the illness would destroy a single heart species, and it had made him vomit and it had nothing to do with the flu that was coursing through him.

Paralysis was the main problem. He had to carry her now because she was too weak, but honestly she probably couldn't walk even if she wasn't. It was very likely that she might not ever walk again.

There might not ever be any more running for them, and if that was the case, he would take it as it came. He would live out the rest of his time with her, inside the TARDIS if that was what came.

He didn't care out the need to travel, or how hard it would be to 'settle down' he cared about being able to see her grumpy smile every morning. If he got to hear her call him spaceman he would never leave this place again if that was what it took.

She groaned, and he felt her chest rise and fall rapidly and he raised his head quickly. She had been having nightmares, brought on by the fever and she had given him permission to enter her head to sooth them, but only if nothing else worked.

"No," she croaked out. "Leave him alone!"

All lot of these nightmares seemed to be centered on him, but he knew that was probably because he had been there with her this whole time. Some part of her, even in the deepest sleep, was still there with him.

"Donna, love," he stroked her hair, his voice coming out less soothing then he would normally be able to muster. He was losing his voice but he couldn't have that. He needed to be able to speak to her. "Shhh, I'm here. You are safe, everything is okay now. I'll take care of you."

Her breathing didn't slow, and he knew that she would probably want him to try harder but she just didn't have the energy to spare on a nightmare so he touched her temples gently.

He stepped in, giving her mental self a quick smile and trying not to look around. He pushed the dream away from her, easily now, as he had done this several times an hour and then he left her with a feeling of peace, and retreated.

Looking down at her, he found her face had relaxed and he kissed her cheek softly. He moved to lay beside her on the bed, unable to keep his eyes open any longer. He laid his hand back on her chest, making his mind hold on to the need to feel her breath and closed his eyes somewhat unwillingly.


	2. Chapter 2

It happened, pulling him from sleep with a speed that would have been impressive if he wasn't so close to losing his everything. He moved his cheek down over her face, feeling the distinct lack of breath on his face, and with quick, sure hands, he felt for a pulse. At least her heart was still going.

He tilted her head, as he moved onto his knees on the bed. He blew air into her lungs, watching that her chest rose, and he repeated. He was pleading to the universe, to anything that cared to listen, that she hold on, that she fight back.

The TARDIS was humming more loudly than normal, her distress as obvious as his, and her relief as much when Donna took in her own breath.

"Good girl," he praised, gently rubbing her hair away from her face. "So good."

He was holding his own breath, as she repeated the action again and again. At last he felt satisfied and took his own breath, his lungs aching, but not quite long enough to use his by pass.

She opened her eyes, though they were unfocused. She finally spoke, "Spaceman."

The term of endearment couldn't have sounded more desperate. He moved as close to her as he could, "I'm here."

"See?"

He had gotten good at her broken speech, but he wasn't sure what she meant. She had her eyes open; did she want him to see something?

"See what, Donna?"

"Can't…see…" the two words were an obvious struggle, but it was all he needed to complete the thought.

He moved his hand in front of her face, fingers near her eyes, and she didn't react. "No," he muttered to himself.

"I'll be right back," he told her, hating to leave, but knowing that he needed to. "Stay breathing, love. Be right back."

He kissed her forehead; the TARDIS letting him know that she would be well watched in his brief absence. He moved as quickly as his own weak body would let him, to the med-bay, searching until he found something that he could give her, hoping that it would help. He filled the hypo, worried that it was going to cause harm to her, but he had to do something.

It wasn't for Humans, but the TARDIS had altered it, so that it should be safe. He hoped, and she hoped.

He stumbled back into the room, another hypo full of medicine for him, but he had to take care of her first. He stuck it up to her neck and injected her quickly.

"Sleep," he set on the bed beside her. "It'll help."

It was actually for Time Lords, and it was a huge risk, but she needed it badly. He took his own version, the unchanged one, and stuck it up to his own neck.

It was a regeneration booster, used for when Time Lords were injured or sick, but not close enough to death that they would regenerate. It was very weak serum, which would help them heal when they were struggling on their own. Usually all it took was a healing sleep, but sometimes, it came in handy, to have a little help.

The problem, the main reason that he hadn't wanted to give it to her, is because it sped up healing, but the body reacted to it by an increase in temperature. He asked the TARDIS to feel the tub with Sub gel, and capped Donna's IV and pulled her already burning body into his arms.

In the bathroom, he stripped down to his boxers and Donna down to her underwear, and maneuvered them into the bath tub.

The gel was like ice against his skin, and was certainly worse for her, but she was too far gone at this point to do anything other than whimper. Sub gel was at least safe for Humans, even if it wasn't made by them; it was a thin blue gel that held cold temperatures for as long as needed.

It would work better than water, and would hopefully keep her fever at a level that wouldn't kill her. She lay against his chest, his arms wrapped around her body, hands resting on her stomach. He could feel her breathing, and thought maybe it was a little stronger than before.

It was probably just wishful thinking, but it was all he had at this point. He closed his eyes, fighting the dizziness that was trying to overwhelm him. If he could just sleep for an hour or two, especially after the booster, he would be fine, but he couldn't afford to leave her alone, even if it was only in his sleep.

Still, his eyes weren't giving him much of an option. He knew that his temperature was trying to rise, but the gel was doing its job and it kept it low enough. Not low, but low enough.

DW

Donna was certain that she was awake, but she couldn't seem to open her eyes. She could feel arms around her; probably the Doctors and she wanted to give him a hands comment. Even if she didn't mean it, it would make her smile. And hopefully be enough to erase that crease of worry that had etched itself on his forehead since she first got sick.

She couldn't see the last time she opened her eyes, and she knew that she should be more worried about that but she felt sort of floaty and fuzzy. She knew that he had given her something but she wasn't sure what it was exactly. It reminded her of having a few cocktails, except…she seemed to be trapped in her own mind.

She was aware, not fully maybe, but close enough. More than she had been in quite a while thanks to this stupid flu. The Doctor had told her that she would be fine, and when she had gotten a fever he had been certain that it had nothing to do with the outbreak on the planet.

She didn't blame him; of course, it wasn't his fault that she got a flu that was only for two hearted species. She was just good like that. Ha. Leave it to her to start over achieving when it was for something like this.

He blamed himself of course, and he also thought that he was doing a good job of hiding that he was sick as well. He wasn't, she just didn't have the energy to contradict him, but now that she felt a bit better, if she could just wake up, she would tell him that he was really a lousy actor.

She could read him so easily, and she knew that he could do the same for her. Maybe that was because she loved him…did she just admit that? Maybe it was better that she wasn't awake; she might let it slip and ruin everything.

She wished he felt the same, but he didn't. That was okay, she had agreed to the mate's thing, but she hadn't planned to fall for his silly skinny alien self. With the hair of wonder and the deepest eyes she had ever seen.

But that was before she had spent time with him, before she had seen the level of kindness he was capable of and all the love he had for her. Even if it wasn't the same kind. She knew that he would do anything for her, and she would do the same for him.

Her spaceman, her Doctor, her best friend, the man who was currently holding her in his protective grasp, how she wanted to see his face.

She tried yet again to open her eyes, but had no luck. She could feel him shift behind her, and something cool moved around her skin. Something that felt thicker than water but felt similar, and she wondered when they had left the bed. And why did it feel like the cool…whatever it was…was touching an insane amount of bare skin.

The Doctor better not have stripped her naked, no matter what the reason. She didn't need him seeing her naked, especially if she wasn't around to enjoy it, and see him that way as well.

"Donna?" She could hear his voice, feel his breath against her cheek, and she tried, really tried to let him know that she was there.

But she couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't do anything but lay there and think.


	3. Chapter 3

He had tried to wake her, tried his hardest but there wasn't indication that she planned on doing it anytime soon. He felt better, a little tired still, but he had a brief nap in the gel and he was functioning at close to normal again.

Donnas' temperature had dropped to very close to normal, but she wasn't with him. He had debated the journey he was currently taking inside her mind, but decided she could slap him a million times if it meant that she was back.

But he couldn't find her, there were doors everywhere, doors he had never seen before and he wasn't sure why they were there now. She knew that he wasn't going to look anywhere that he shouldn't and that left him to believe that this was a subconscious thing.

More doors than he could take the time to count, and he suspected that she was somewhere behind one of them, so that meant that he would have to look. And if he looked, and saw something he wasn't meant to, would she be able to forgive him?

"Doctor," he heard, if faintly, and knew that it didn't come from the Donna on the outside.

"Again," he prompted. He waited, but there wasn't anything farther.

But she knew that he was there, and that was encouraging. He looked to the right, a bright blue door, and he made his way over, glancing back at the other doors, a wide variety of colors. Some that she had seen but probably didn't have names for in her mind.

With a deep breath, well, a mental deep breath, he opened the door, and stepped into the…well…it was beach. This was the beach from last week, pink and purple sand and orange water, and there was Donna looking amazing, and there he was watching her as she swam.

He hadn't wanted to join her at first, simply caught up in her having a good time, but she wouldn't allow that to happen. He walked closer to them, sure that this wasn't where she was hiding but still he got to see her for a moment.

"Donna," he whispered as she moved back to the beach and grabbed the Doctor's hand tugging. His memory self was laughing and he smiled at them. No wonder people thought they were married, looking at them from the outside he could see why the mistake would be easy to make.

He stayed as she pulled him into the water and then spun around, knowing that he couldn't linger when he had such a job to do. He closed the door behind him, and moved on, the next door being a bright red one. He opened it, but closed it after a second. He and Donna were…engaged in activities.

He couldn't help himself, and opened the door watching for a moment, before he closed it again. He wanted to watch, to see her fantasies, which he was pleased to see at least occasionally included him, but he wouldn't because he respected her too much.

Blue…memories, he would have to open another to confirm, and red was fantasies, well at least he thought. The next door was red as well, and he opened the door for only a second, well that was the intention, but while it was long enough to confirm that red seemed to house the sexual thoughts, he couldn't figure out the position he and Donna were in. It wasn't one he was familiar with.

"Spaceman," the soft voice called out again, and he closed the door.

"Donna?"

Again silence and he sighed. Moving on, which wasn't easy to do after what he had just seen, he moved to the next door which was green. He opened it to find a forest, and he could hear movement inside, he walked in, the forest getting denser as he moved. When he reached a point where the trees were touching, he stopped.

He didn't see anything that made him think that he was here, wherever here was. He heard a scream then and spun around to see Donna there, but she was cowering beneath a creature. Well, a creature he had seen before, that they had both seen before. But this wasn't a memory because this hadn't happened.

Green is nightmares, he concluded. "Give me something to help you, Donna." He asked her mind.

He looked down, and in his hand he held a spray can. He ran up on the creature and held down the nozzle and out puffed a thick pink cloud and the creature backed off with a sound that might have been a cough.

That shouldn't have worked, but it was a dream, so who was he to judge. He squatted by the Donna that lay on the ground and he pulled her into his arms.

"Doctor," she nuzzled into his chest. The real Donna didn't usually let him see her weak, and he let her have this moment. She didn't have to be strong all the time.

"Donna," he cupped her cheek when she pulled away. "Where are you?"

"I don't know," the dream Donna admitted. "It's dark."

The Doctor looked around, the forest was well lit, so this was his Donna he was talking to, using the one before him.

"I'll find you," he promised her.

"I know," she agreed. "Doctor," she said very softly.

"Yes?"

"What's poking my leg?"

The Doctor blushed, "You can um…feel that?"

"Yes, I just can't move my body. Is it the screwdriver…I'll bet it's that right?"

"Well," he swallowed. "See there was this door, red, and I shut it…I did, but I must have enjoyed it a little more than I should have, and I'm sorry."

Dream Donna chuckled. "Silly spaceman."

"You're not mad?"

"Not enough to slap you, if that's what you mean?"

"Well, that's a start," he agreed, feeling relieved. "I won't look in anymore red doors."

"Well, let's not be hasty, just find me first."

"Right, of course," he smiled down at dream Donna as he stood. "Are you okay, though Donna?"

"I'll be fine when I'm back with you."

His hearts soared, and then fell but he didn't allow the thoughts of what might still come from this illness to rise to the surface.

"I'm on my way."


	4. Chapter 4

Donna's mind held a lot of interesting things. A lot, but he didn't have time to really explore, he had to find her. The real her, the one that he had to find to get the real world Donna back out of her body, and he was fighting the impatience that he got when he had to do stuff slowly.

There was no jumping in the TARDIS and jumping ahead, he had to do this door by door. Although he got to rule out red doors, and he knew he was looking for someplace dark. He tried an orange door; they seemed to be normal thoughts, at lease if you can call any thought normal.

Human brains were limited, and he felt a mental slap at the thought. He didn't mean offense, they just were, it was different, not necessarily a bad thing. It meant that it should have been easy to find her, but no, not his Donna, she had to have a deep mind. Organized in a way that made him have to work for it, and he could almost feel her smile.

Well, this room was dark, so that was something. "Could use a flashlight," he told her mind, and then he was holding one.

At least if he had to be trudging through someone's mind, it was someone willing to provide him with the tools to do it. He shined the light inside, and saw nothing but heard a sound from deep within. He hoped this was her, because his own mind was getting a little cramped hanging out inside this normal on the inside skull.

He normally wouldn't let all of him inside, but he didn't have a choice, he couldn't reach the depths unless he let all of him be pulled in.

He saw a Donna, if it was the correct one he wasn't certain, resting in the corner.

"Spaceman?"

She looked up and he knew all at once. He would know the real her anywhere; it just took seeing for him to know that.

Donna he squatted down and took her hand, "Come with me?"

She nodded. "Anywhere."

She stood and he withdrew from her mind, back into his much better skull, pulling her along to she was at the top of her mind again. When he was safe back inside his own head he opened his eyes to find that hers were still closed.

"Donna?" He asked running his fingertips down her cheek and holding his breath. "Please."

He knew he was begging but he had to have her back. She couldn't have come this close and then not make it back. He couldn't lose her now.

She took a deeper breath and he saw her eyes open a crack. When they opened fully, he smiled at her, but she didn't smile back.

"What is it?" He asked, the relief he was feeling being pushed away.

She didn't speak, and he felt worried. She had said she could feel him, but couldn't move her body, maybe that was still problem.

"Blink for yes and no?" He asked her and she blinked once.

"Good," he agreed. He touched her arm gently. "Can you feel me touching you?"

One blink. "Okay, that's something. "Can you move anything but your eyes?"

There was a pause and then she blinked twice. "Okay," he said again, and then scratched his neck trying to think. "Okay…"

He didn't know what to do; there was no medicine that would be stronger than the booster he had given her. And he couldn't do that again, she probably wouldn't survive this time. Too much Time Lord in a Human was likely to happen. He wasn't even entirely sure of what that first dose would have done to her.

He would have to get a blood sample at some point. He felt the slightest of movement in the arm below his fingers. "Donna," he raised his eyebrows, "Did you do that on purpose?"

One blink. "Good," he told her, smiling. "Maybe this is just temporary."

He loved her so, she was something so special. He was a new man; every good companion had made him a better man. And Donna, well she had made him this man. The only woman he had ever met who could finally stop the need to run.

The only one that could slow the desire to move, to run from all that scared him, his feelings, his past, the only thing he didn't run from was the things that others did. Monsters never scared him, he scared him.

But not with her, she had showed him that he was just like any other…dare he say Human. Even with all his fancy Time Lord 'stuff' she had put it, he was still a person. Who made mistakes, sometimes ones that seemed awful, but she also showed him that he had good inside.

He owed her his soul, whatever that boiled down to, and he would give her that.

"I'll fix this," he promised.

She gave a tiny shake of her head. But it was movement. It was a promise that maybe she would be up and going again.

"No?"

Another tiny shake. "Why not?"

She couldn't say, but he knew that she wanted to. Poor Donna, it must be frustrating to want to talk and not be able to do so. He suspected he would go mad if it were him.

"I love you, Donna," he whispered to her. "More than mates, and don't argue."

He thought he saw a smile in her eyes at his bad joke. "I didn't mean to, you just slipped past my walls. And I never had a chance."

"'od," she gurgled out.

"Good?"

A small nod and he kissed her forehead. "So good, Donna. Keep trying, if anyone can do this it's you."

She still looked tired, eyes closing again slowly. Even if she was better, the strain of even the simplest of things would wear her out.

"You can rest, I'll be here when you wake," he told her gently, pleased with the small progress that was already made.

Even if this was a climb, even if this was hard, he would help her through. And wherever they stopped, however far she could go, even if it wasn't ever as it was before, that was where he would stay with her.

"'ove 'ou," she managed, though it came out broken.

"Good," he told her again. "You sleep now, I'll be right here." Her eyes slid closed again. She would be fine, he was sure. "Always."


	5. Chapter 5

He had taken the blood sample while she slept, and now looking at the results he held mix feelings. She was fine, well mostly fine; it looked like any damage that was done by the virus was correcting itself. Which was great news, but her cells were changing. He had drawn his own blood, only because he refused to believe the computer and wanted to check it himself.

She was changing, into a Time Lord. Well, sort of. She would never be exactly the same, well not without something way more complicated than a regeneration booster. But close enough. Her body was renewing itself, slowing down the aging process dramatically.

He didn't think she would be able to regenerate, not in the sense that she would have a new body, but she would have better healing. And she wouldn't be immortal, but she would live a much longer life, if he was right.

"How did this happen, I thought you adjusted it?"

He received the TARDIS's equivalent of a grunt. It wasn't fair blaming her, and he wasn't unhappy. This just wasn't in the plans; he had only wanted to save her life. What would Donna think?

He compared the blood samples again, but he knew what it was going to show. This had never happened before. He couldn't say completely how it was happening now. Maybe something in the virus caused her system to be receptive to the Time Lord energy.

He just didn't know, and he knew everything. This would take some time to figure out, and he still had to break the news to Donna. Would she blame him…who was he kidding…she would blame him. He was to blame after all, but maybe, just maybe she wouldn't be angry.

If she was, he had no way to fix this. In trying to make her better, he found something that he couldn't make better.

He shuffled back to her room; her eyes still closed, and sat on the edge of the bed, hands covering his face. Why couldn't he ever just do anything right? All the best intentions and he made a mess of everything.

"Doctor," Donna hand flopped softly against his back, and slid down resting back on the bed.

He turned, forcing a bright smile on his face. He helped her move her hand back by her side, thankful that she was even better than before, but that was a given. She was healing herself, like a Time Lord now.

"Hey you," he touched her face for a moment before pulling his hand back, and looking away.

"What's wrong," she tried to lift her hand to touch his face, probably feeling very confused how they had gone from the confession of love to this.

He gently pushed her hand back down. "I'm sorry, Donna."

He didn't miss the worry that crossed her face. "I'm still going to die?"

He shook his head, knowing that was an easy mistake to make. Dying, as bad it was, was simple. It was the living that made things complicated.

"No," he told her gently, wanting nothing more than to touch her, reassure her but knowing that he couldn't. He had messed things up and touching her was more of a comfort that he deserved. "You are going to be fine, more than fine. You are going to be amazing."

"Then what is it," she was trying to sit up now, and once again he stopped her with a little pressure from his hand. "Why won't you let me touch you, Doctor? Did you not mean what you said?"

He shook his head again, "Oh, Donna. I meant it. I love you, and always will. I don't deserve for you to love me back."

"You know that isn't true," she argued becoming more determined to move.

She was glaring at him as he watched her try until finally he relented and helped her, propping her up on pillows.

"You should rest, I'll come back."

He tried to rise but she wasn't going to let him run away. She never did. "Don't even think about it, Doctor. Tell me what is going on?"

He bit his lip, time to face the music, so to speak. "I messed up Donna. I was only trying to help, and I messed up."

"Messed up what?"

"The shot I gave you, you remember?"

She gave a weak nod, "Yes, I remember, worked well, yes?"

He gave a tiny smile. She had no idea how well. "Yes, it did. It's probably the reason you are alive, because I was going to lose you Donna. And I was so scared."

Her brow furrowed, "I'm sorry, but I'm okay now. You did it."

He looked away, but forced the words to come. A long life with her should have been the best news but he had done it without asking. What if she didn't want the extra time?

"It wasn't for Humans," he explained, and followed quickly because if he stopped he wouldn't continue. "It was something for Time Lords, a regeneration booster. Meant to help a Time Lord who is having a hard time healing, or needs to do it faster than they can on their own."

She was watching him, her face giving away nothing. "Okay. Go on."

"But I adjusted it," no sense in the TARDIS carrying any blame. It was all his. "It was…well not okay…but it should have been safe enough. I never meant for this, Donna."

"Never meant for what?" He could hear an edge now, still convinced that she was in danger.

"I checked your blood, because no one has ever given a Human the booster. I just wanted to be sure, and well, it worked Donna, you are healing rapidly. And it's taking away all the side effects you should have. But it's changing your DNA."

"What?"

She didn't sound angry, but surprised.

"It's a slight mutation, but enough. It has slowed down your bodies aging. To practically nothing. I don't have all the details, and as soon as you are well enough, I'll run every tested needed to figure it out, I promise. But Donna, you are basically, mostly, part Time Lord."

She was biting her lip and she took in a deep breath. Here it came, the storm.

"Okay," she said softly. He looked at her surprised.

"Okay?"

"I'm okay? You didn't mean to do it without asking?"

"Yes, very okay. And no, never do anything like that without asking. I didn't even think it was possible."

"Okay, then." She swallowed. "What does it mean the part you do know?"

"You'll heal more similarly to me than a Human. Much longer life, though you can still die, so you won't be immortal. But if you play it safe enough you can live…well I don't have a number but a long time."

"As long as you?" She seemed curious and hopeful.

He nodded, "Yes, probably. But I understand if you don't want to stay."

"Don't be daft. More years, why wouldn't I want to spend them with you?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's a shock, but Doctor this isn't bad news. We'll run those test and we'll figure this out. And if it's all okay, then we will take this as a gift."

He didn't know what to say. His hearts were racing with joy, and just a touch of worry. But he knew that she would be fine. The other test would just confirm that fact.

"Hug me, space man," she told him.

And he did, pulling her into his arms.

"I love you," he told her, rubbing her back.

"I know," she agreed, "And I love you, even if you are an alien."

He grinned. "Rest; when you wake we will start working on this, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, yawning.

He adjusted himself and she was lying on his chest. Maybe this would be okay. Maybe just maybe, he would get a chance to be happy.


	6. Chapter 6

They had run the test, and he honestly didn't have many more answers than he had before then. He had helped her walk there, her leaning on him though he had offered to carry her. She had refused, making him smile a little. Too strong, so strong, and his.

"What's the news, then?" She asked, making him finally look away from his results, or rather lack of, and into her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he told her again, and she rolled her eyes. She had said to stop apologizing but he was sorry. "I don't really have any more information. It looks like you are nearly healed, but all that I said before is all I can seem to get results about."

"But I'm fine," she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. She was, she was great in fact. Probably be great for a long, long time. "Of course you are."

"I want to go back to my room," she told him in a very businesslike manner.

He thought at last she was finally angry with him, but he deserved it. Or maybe she just needed time to process all this, he could hope that was all it was.

"Okay," he agreed, turning of the computer screen, and offering her a smile he knew didn't reach his eyes.

"I want you to stay with me," she told him, softly.

Of course he would stay. "Sure," he agreed, trying not to sound too eager.

He helped her back to her room, though she really didn't need it now, her condition better each minute. Though the TARDIS still moved her room across the hall, trying to be nice, he imagined.

Inside, she reached up and pulled him to her, surprising him greatly, as much as it pleased him. He was kissing her, and it was sweet and warm and she didn't resist when he bit her bottom lip gently. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, and she slid hers against him. This was so much better than he had dreamed, and oh how he had dreamed.

"Clothes," Donna demanded, pushing at his coat.

He wanted this to happen, but when she released his mouth to speak his brain reconnected to his body. "Donna, you are still weak."

"Clothes," she repeated hands busy on his buttons.

"Donna," he steadied her hands, and took in a breath, trying to stop the reaction to her that his body was having.

She looked down and smiled. "Don't argue, please, I want this. You want this."

He did, even if his words tried to deny it or slow it, his body was screaming the opposite. "Are you sure?" Who was he kidding, his resolve had already faded, but he still had to check.

"Yes," she kissed him again, and he let go of her hands reaching for the hem of her shirt, and she released him so that he could pull it over her head.

Her skin was so pale, and wonderful, and beautiful, and more adjectives than he had words for. "Oh, Donna, you are beautiful."

"So are you," she muttered, against his now bare shoulder. She worked fast, he noted. "Let's shower, yes? I feel like I could use one."

"Okay," he agreed, letting her lead him in there.

They finished undressing each other, and slid into the shower, water running slowly down her now bare body. She was perfect in his eyes, a vision of a goddess.

She let him wash her, when he could manage to focus long enough not to kiss the skin he found. He nipped gently at her stomach when he squatted down to wash her legs.

He looked up at her, and her eyes were lit with a gentle kind of love. There was much he wanted to do, but he wanted to please her first and he leaned forward, but she stopped him. "Later, "she argued. "Just you for now."

Who was he to argue, "Your wish is my command," he muttered, kissing her, and lifting her easily to wrap her legs around his waist. The wall held her up, and he showed her everything he had always wanted to show her. That she was amazing, and she was loved, and she was his. His Donna.

When they both were sated, he washed her again, and they made their way to the bed, wrapped in nothing but the covers. Her hair was laying across her chest her head over his heart, eyes closed, on the edge of sleep.

She was everything he wanted, more than she could ever dream and this flu that she shouldn't have gotten, just gave him what he hoped would be a very long life with her. He knew that she probably wouldn't be ready for marriage or anything yet, but when the time came, he knew just the ring. Its beauty was pale in comparison but he thought it would look perfect on her. Or maybe he just thought a ring that meant that she was all his, only his, forever, was what would look good on her.

"I love you," he whispered, not wanting to drag her from her almost sleep.

She let out a content breath, "I love you, Doctor."

He rubbed her back gently, her breath settling into a rhythm that told him she was asleep at last, and he closed his own eyes. He knew from experience a few days could change his whole world, but this time it was for the better. A few days had led him here.


End file.
